It was a great pleasure to discover this interview of Stephen Colbert on an obscure Catholic interview talk show and find a truly profound discussion. It needs listening to twice. Colbert shows nuance and sophistication towards the most important question any public figure must reflect on who seeks to impact this American society for the better: How to convey truths of life in a society like ours, which...

There is tremendous pressure in American civilization today coming from two forces: a philosophy that claims that “big government” is bad, and with it anything associated with a pro government philosophy we lived under from 1933 until 1980. The other force is religious fanaticism, which began to grow deeper roots in the US for the first time in its history between November 9 1989 and September...

Wonderful article written by a Norwegian novelist driving through the heartland of America, in multiple installments in the New York Times Magazine.
Click here for first installment.
Click here for second installment.
Click here for comments by Part...

The most disturbing aspect of the Indiana law allowing companies to function in accord with a particular religious belief is that the law was made possible by the Supreme Court ruling in the Hobby Lobby case treating corporations as individuals. This is a pernicious and corrosive ruling itself, and it is a strange political philosophy that has led justices to think this way. I gather this philosophy...

The intellectual class in the West needs to be educated on its own moral and spiritual philosophy. Three centuries of commercialism have undermined our ability and courage to do so. We need to learn how to talk about the Idea of the Good in public. We need to gain clarity that freedom and equality alone do not constitute a society. Or at least its intellectuals better understand the difference between the...

Terence Hoyt earned an MA in Economics from Fordham University in 1984, and a PhD in Philosophy fromTulane University in 2000. Between 1993 and 2012, I lived in New Orleans. Earlier on, I lived in Paris and Berlin for one year each. In 2012, after teaching philosophy for 15 years I returned to school to earn an MSW and then returned to upstate New York where I grew up.
My hope is for this site to increase understanding of the American political-economic system. I believe that the brighest among us do not adequately understand or appreciate American civilization. Too many among us take "the system" for granted, focus on a particular "cause" and then ignore what would keep our political-economy running well. I take the position that this problem needs to be viewed as a crisis of philosophy. It was good political philosophy that was responsible for our system and it is dysfunctional political philosophy that influences many activists to take stances undermine our economic as well as moral-spiritual well being. As of January 2017, we are in a crisis involving an unholy alliance between philosophical extremism and the usual suspects: the few who would manipulate the many to gain more wealth, power and privilege. With Plato, I believe that unless sober philosopher-types get involved in the daily affairs of public life, there will be no end to troubles. It is time for public intellectuals as well as academics in the humanities and social sciences to go back to the cave!

Seeking financial assistance for book editor

I am currently in the process of completing a book on the American political project I have been working on for six years. This book will be the culmination of years of studying, researching and thinking about what has made the America system so successful in enabling citizens to live peaceful and prosperous lives. The key to understanding this success is simple: harnessing the natural motives of four types of human beings. My goal is to educate public intellectuals, educators, and activists. I am asking for help paying for an editor for this book. I estimate the cost to be around $5,000. You can donate with the Pay Pal button below. If you would like to talk with me personally, please email me at "terencehoyt@gmail.com". I have posted the first sections of the book on the "Book Project" tab.